Bali 7-Day Itinerary: Ubud, Batur, Nusa Penida, East Bali

What is the best 7-day itinerary for Bali?

Spend four nights in Ubud and three in Sanur. From Ubud, climb Mount Batur for sunrise, drive west to the Jatiluwih rice terraces and Tanah Lot, and east to Besakih. Then move to Sanur for calm lagoons, a fast-boat day on Nusa Penida and an easy last morning near the airport.

A week lets Bali be more than a highlights reel. This plan uses two bases instead of three, never asks for two pre-dawn starts in a row, and spends its extra days on the places a 3-day trip cannot reach: a volcano at dawn, the UNESCO-listed terraces of Jatiluwih, the great temple complex of Besakih and an island day from Sanur.

It assumes a base just outside central Ubud for nights 1 to 4 and a beach hotel in Sanur for nights 5 and 6; where to stay in Bali compares both. Hire a car and driver for Days 3 and 4, book the Batur trek and the Nusa Penida trip a few days ahead, and leave Days 1, 5 and 7 loose.

Check your dates against the best time to visit Bali first. The dry season suits the trek and the boat day best, and the island closes for Nyepi on Monday 8 March 2027, according to Indonesia’s holiday decree.

What does the week look like at a glance?

Days 1 and 5 are short travel days, Days 2, 3, 4 and 6 are full outings, and Day 7 is a slow departure. Only three things need booking: the Batur trek, a car and driver for the west and east drives, and the Nusa Penida boat with a driver on the island.

The order matters. Batur comes on Day 2, while you may still be waking early from the journey, and the long drives follow on separate days so that no day starts before dawn twice in a row. The boat day sits near the end, with a spare morning after it in case rough seas move the crossing.

If you have to drop a day, cut Day 4: Besakih is about two hours from Ubud, according to the tourism ministry, and it is the easiest outing to save for a future trip.

How is this week different from the 3-day plan?

It shares only the Ubud base. The 3-day plan covers Tegallalang, Tirta Empul, Goa Gajah and Uluwatu; this week skips all four and adds a Batur sunrise, Jatiluwih and Tanah Lot, Besakih, a Sanur base and a Nusa Penida day. It also allows rest afternoons and a spare morning.

The Bali 3-day itinerary squeezes Ubud’s nearest temples and one southern sunset into three days. A week can go further without rushing, so this plan swaps those stops for day trips to the volcano, the west and the east, then moves to the coast for the second half.

If you want both, the 3-day plan’s Day 2 (Tegallalang, Tirta Empul and Goa Gajah) can fill Day 1 of this week after an early arrival, and Uluwatu can replace Tanah Lot as the Day 3 sunset. Keep the Batur and Nusa Penida days as they are: they are the hardest to rearrange.

How should you spend Days 1 and 2 in Ubud and on Mount Batur?

Arrive, settle in and see a dance at Ubud Palace on Day 1. On Day 2, join a guided Mount Batur sunrise trek: a 1,717-metre volcano with a start around 04:00 and a climb of one to two hours. Spend the afternoon resting, or soak in the hot springs at Toya Bungkah on the way back.

Keep Day 1 light. Ubud Palace (Puri Saren Agung), now a museum and a centre for Balinese arts, stages evening performances for about Rp100,000, according to the tourism ministry. If you land early, the Monkey Forest is open from 09:00 to 18:00 with last entry at 17:00; its rules ban food and drink and ask visitors not to touch the monkeys.

For Batur, detikBali gives a start around 04:00 WITA and a normal ascent of one to two hours on a sand-and-rock trail. Our Mount Batur sunrise trek guide explains the local guides’ association, what to wear and the hot springs at Toya Bungkah. Check the alert level on MAGMA Indonesia the day before.

The FCDO no longer advises against travel to Indonesia’s volcanoes but says eruptions can happen without warning, so respect any exclusion zone. If a tour adds a coffee-plantation stop on the way back and offers kopi luwak, ask how the beans are collected: WARN explains the cruelty behind kopi luwak, which often comes from caged civets (WARN is the not-for-profit our founder set up; we give it 10% of our profits).

How do you combine Jatiluwih and Tanah Lot on Day 3?

Drive to the Jatiluwih rice terraces in Tabanan after breakfast, walk the paths between the paddies, have lunch overlooking them, then head south-west to Tanah Lot for sunset. At low tide you can walk out towards the sea temple. Expect a long day in the car: Jatiluwih is about two hours from Denpasar.

The tourism ministry says the Jatiluwih terraces, in the heart of Tabanan Regency, were inscribed by UNESCO in June 2012 as part of Bali’s cultural landscape, which represents the subak irrigation system, and puts them about 40 km and two hours’ drive from Denpasar. Bali’s provincial site describes over six hundred hectares of terraces in Penebel district.

The subak links farmers, water and temples. Each farmer belongs to a subak fed from one dam, the subaks fall under two lake temples, Pura Batu Kau and Pura Ulun Danu on Lake Beratan, and water temples hold festivals every 105 days to match the rice cycle, the ministry explains. No official page we found lists the current entry charge, so carry cash.

Tanah Lot, in Beraban village, Kediri district, is a sea temple you can walk to at low tide; Bali’s provincial site asks visitors not to disturb the sea snakes in its caves, which are believed to belong to the temple’s god. Check the tide before you leave Jatiluwih, and expect a late drive back to Ubud.

Is Besakih worth a day from Ubud?

Yes, if temples are a priority. Besakih, the largest Hindu temple complex in Bali, sits at about 1,000 metres on the slopes of Mount Agung, roughly two hours from Ubud. The tourism ministry lists entry at Rp60,000–100,000 including sarong and sash rental. Go early for a cooler, calmer morning.

The ministry’s Besakih page places the complex in Besakih village, Rendang sub-district, Karangasem, on the south-west slope of Mount Agung, with 23 large and small temples centred on Pura Penataran Agung. It recommends visiting in the morning, says all visitors must wear a sarong and sash, and lists an optional local guide at Rp50,000–100,000.

Afterwards, choose between a climb and a beach. Bali’s provincial site says Pura Lempuyang Luhur stands on top of 1,174-metre Mount Lempuyang, reached by stairs after stairs; Padangbai, on the coast, has secluded beaches a short walk from its port and a main beach suitable for swimming and snorkelling.

Temple rules apply all day. The governor’s Circular Letter 7 of 2025 bars visitors from the inner courtyards unless they are worshipping in Balinese dress, bans climbing sacred structures and says menstruating women may not enter sacred areas. Check the MAGMA alert level for Agung before you go.

How do you plan the Sanur days and the Nusa Penida trip?

Move to Sanur on Day 5, about 45 minutes from Ubud, and spend the afternoon on the 5 km beachfront path and in the reef-protected lagoon. On Day 6, take an early fast boat to Nusa Penida, 30 to 45 minutes away, hire a car with driver and see one coast only.

The tourism ministry’s Sanur page describes a paved beachfront path of about 5 km, shallow lagoons protected by offshore reefs and a night market at the northern end of Jalan Danau Tamblingan. Sanur is also a departure point for the Nusa islands: the ministry’s Nusa Penida page gives crossings from Sanur, Kusamba or Padang Bai to Toyapakeh or Sampalan of 30 to 45 minutes, depending on the weather.

Budget for local charges. Klungkung Regency has charged visitors Rp25,000 for the Nusa Penida area since September 2026, Kompas reported, on top of Bali’s Rp150,000 provincial levy. Our Nusa Penida guide explains the attraction charges, the west and east coast routes and the cliff paths, where visitors have died after leaving marked routes.

The FCDO warns that sea conditions can change rapidly and that children’s life jackets are not always available, so check the boat before boarding. Day 7 morning is the buffer: if rough seas cancel Day 6, stay in Sanur rather than risk a same-day boat-to-flight connection.

What should you change for rain, ceremonies or holidays?

In the wet season, swap the Batur trek and the boat day to the driest mornings and keep Days 1, 5 and 7 as buffers. Ask your driver about temple ceremonies, avoid Nyepi on 8 March 2027 entirely, and book boats early around Indonesian holidays such as Idulfitri on 10–11 March 2027.

The FCDO puts Bali’s rainy season at October to March and warns of localised flooding. The Denpasar averages range from 25 mm of rain in August to 345 mm in January, and BMKG’s 2026/27 outlook expects the national rainy season to start late, mostly in November or December 2026, and to peak from December to February.

If rain washes out a day, Ubud Palace and the town’s galleries make an easy indoor fallback, and our Bali in the rain guide lists more. Volcano and boat days are the ones to protect: move them rather than go in poor conditions, using MAGMA for the volcano and the operator’s decision for the sea.

Indonesia’s 2027 holiday decree puts Nyepi on Monday 8 March, Idulfitri on 10–11 March with collective leave around it, and Independence Day on 17 August. Western Australian school holidays, from 3 to 18 July in 2027, also add demand, per the state’s education department.

How do you get around and stay safe on a week in Bali?

Use a car and driver for the west and east days, a guided trek for Batur, and app rides or registered taxis for short trips. The FCDO warns of moped crashes, bag snatching, drink spiking and methanol in drinks, and says sea conditions can change quickly, so plan transport around those risks.

The FCDO recommends registered taxi firms such as Bluebird, Silverbird and Express, reports a large increase in moped accidents in Bali and says a UK licence alone is not valid for driving there. Trans Metro Dewata buses run from Ubung terminal to Ubud and to Icon Mal Bali in Sanur for Rp4,400, per ANTARA, but not to this plan’s day-trip sites.

Bali’s governor asks visitors to use licensed transport and guides, and the Love Bali FAQ sets the tourist levy at Rp150,000, paid once and cashless. The FCDO says rabies is present, with many street dogs in Bali, so get help immediately after any bite or scratch.

Allow a full hour for the Sanur-to-airport run on Day 7, even though the ministry estimates 20 minutes, because traffic in the south can be very congested. Our getting around Bali guide covers airport pickups.

Is a week in Bali too long or too short?

A week is the sweet spot for a first trip: long enough for Ubud, a volcano, two temple drives and an island day without rushing, and short enough to keep to two bases. With ten days, add the Gili Islands or Flores; with five, drop the east day and the Nusa Penida trip.

The week works because it alternates long and short days and keeps a spare morning before the flight. With more time, our Bali to Komodo 10-day itinerary adds Flores, and the Gili Islands guide covers the hop to the islands off Lombok.

If you only have three days, the Bali 3-day itinerary gives you Ubud’s nearest temples and an Uluwatu sunset instead. Either way, choose your base first with where to stay in Bali.